BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 miles (480
kilometers). During this time, your
vehicle may exhibit some unusual
driving characteristics. The engine also
needs to break in. Avoid hard
accelerations and driving too fast for
the first 1000 miles (1600 kilometers).
If possible, avoid carrying heavy loads
up steep grades during the break-in
period.
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several
things such as how you drive, the
conditions you drive under and how
you maintain your vehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind
that may improve your fuel economy:
•
Accelerate and slow down in a
smooth, moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds.
• Anticipate stops; slowing down
may eliminate the need to stop.
• Combine errands and minimize
stop-and-go driving.
•When running errands, go to
the furthest destination first
and then work your way back
home.
• Close the windows for high-speed
driving.
• Drive at reasonable speeds.
(Traveling at 65 mph/105 kph uses
about 15% less fuel than traveling
at 75 mph/121 kph). •
Keep the tires properly inflated and
use only the recommended size.
• Use the recommended engine oil.
• Perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.
There are also some things you may
want to avoid doing because they
reduce your fuel economy:
• Avoid sudden or hard
accelerations.
• Avoid revving the engine before
turning off the car.
• Avoid long idle periods.
• Do not warm up your vehicle on
cold mornings.
• Reduce the use of air conditioning
and heat.
• Avoid using speed control in hilly
terrain.
• Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary weight
(approximately 1 mpg [0.4
kilometers/liter] is lost for every
400 lbs [180 kilograms] of weight
carried).
• Avoid adding particular
accessories to your vehicle (e.g.
bug deflectors, rollbars/light bars,
running boards, ski racks).
• Avoid driving with the wheels out
of alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Note: Driving through deep water
above the recommended levels can
cause vehicle damage.
247
MKZ (CC9) Driving Hints
